10 Great Superhero Fight Scenes In Terrible Movies
There have been many great Marvel and DC movies over the years, but it is true that some films missed the mark, though even a few of those who did not succeed still featured exciting fight scenes. Marvel and DC have a bright future ahead. The MCU's upcoming movies include a pair of Avengers films, Spider-Man 4, and more. As for DC, James Gunn's DC Universe has films like Superman, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and more on the way.
However, both franchises — and others — have produced a number of projects that did not work quite as expected. From the Spider-Man franchise to the old DCEU to more, both Marvel and DC have had their fair share of films that struggled at the box office or with critics. Thankfully, some of them had redeeming qualities, even if they were not among the best Marvel movies or the most exciting DC films, and great fight scenes still came through bad superhero films.
10 Kraven The Hunter's Woods Fight Sequence Is Action-Packed And Suitably Gore-Filled
Kraven The Hunter (Sony's Spider-Man Universe, 2024)
First up is Kraven the Hunter, the latest live-action superhero movie to have been released. The film ended Sony's Spider-Man Universe with a whimper at the box office — grossing $53.8 million so far — not faring any better with critics, as Kraven the Hunter has a very low 16% Rotten Tomatoes score with critics.
Sony's Spider-Man Universe | |
|---|---|
Movie | Year |
Venom | 2018 |
Venom: Let There Be Carnage | 2021 |
Morbius | 2022 |
Madame Web | 2024 |
Venom: The Last Dance | 2024 |
Kraven the Hunter | 2024 |
Despite its middling story and poor dialogue, Kraven the Hunter did have something special going for it. The SSU movie had some of the most exciting and violent action scenes of any live-action superhero project. The R-rated movie's most exhilarating fight sequence happened in the woods.
Kraven the Hunter
- Release Date
- December 13, 2024
- Runtime
- 127 Minutes
- Director
- J.C. Chandor
- Writers
- Art Marcum, Richard Wenk, Matt Holloway
- Franchise(s)
- Marvel Comics, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Cast
Sergei Kravinoff / Kraven
Nikolai Kravinoff
Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Kraven used his background as a hunter to set up several traps. When Rhino's henchmen came for Kraven, they were slowly picked off one by one. Many gruesome deaths ensued as limbs flew, heads were bashed, and Kraven got covered in his enemies' blood.
9 Suicide Squad's Street Battle Shows The Real Potential Of The Movie & Cast
Suicide Squad (DCEU, 2016)
The DCEU suffered from uneven quality, with behind-the-scenes choices impacting the franchise. 2016's Suicide Squad was a box office hit, but the movie itself was not nearly as good as its earnings suggest. Director David Ayer's version of Suicide Squad never saw the light of day.
Instead, a studio-approved cut of the DCEU film was released in theaters. The result was an overtly dark and mostly boring mess. Suicide Squad's final battle, and its whole third act in general, were poorly put together. However, an earlier fight scene in the movie showed the cast's lost potential.
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Suicide Squad
- Release Date
- August 5, 2016
- Runtime
- 123 minutes
- Director
- David Ayer
- Writers
- David Ayer
- Sequel(s)
- The Suicide Squad
Cast
Joel Kinnaman
The Suicide Squad team is made up of villains, captured and kept in a secret prison, and offered reduced sentences if they participate in dangerous missions. In the tradition of continuity within DCEU films, the event comes in the wake of Superman's death and the seclusion of Batman after the events that occurred in Batman V Superman. Agency head Amanda Waller, played by award-winning actress Viola Davis, is the one striking deals with the inmates of Belle Reve Prison. Heading “Task Force X” is Joel Kinnaman’s Rick Flag, alongside Will Smith’s Deadshot, Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney’s Captain Boomerang, Jay Hernandez’s El Diablo, Adewale Akinnuoye’s Killer Croc, and Adam Beach’s Slipknot. Karen Fukuhara’s Katana also joins the mission to keep Rick safe from the villains. Jared Leto (Joker) and Ben Affleck (Batman) have smaller roles in David Ayer’s Suicide Squad, as does Cara Delevingne’s Enchantress.
The battle on the street between the Suicide Squad and a faceless army was handled well. Most characters got a moment to shine, showing how each member of the team was unique. If only other fight scenes were as good, Suicide Squad could have been way better.
8 The Amazing Spider-Man 2’s Electro Fight Has Spider-Man Swinging For His Life
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Spider-Man Franchise, 2014)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 suffers from having too many ideas packed into one film. With disappointing villains and an uneven plot, it was a lackluster ending to Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man films. However, The Amazing Spider-Man franchise always had fantastic CGI and fight scenes.
Despite its faults, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 might be the source of the most gorgeous Spider-Man action sequences in live-action to this day. There are many noteworthy moments in the film when it comes to action. However, the final battle between Spider-Man and Electro is the very best.
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The Amazing Spider-Man 2
- Release Date
- May 2, 2014
- Runtime
- 142 minutes
- Director
- Marc Webb
- Writers
- Jeff Pinkner, James Vanderbilt, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci
- Prequel(s)
- The Amazing Spider-Man
Cast
Felicity Jones
In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Andrew Garfield returns to the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, dealing with balancing his life as a high school student and his responsibilities as a hero. After reconnecting with his old friend, Harry Osborn, Peter learns details regarding his late father's mysterious past and begins to connect the dots that his father's disappearance, the emergence of new supervillains, and other dark dealings in his city are all connected to Oscorp.
When they arrive at the power plant and Electro's powers are fully unleashed, the film becomes a visual marvel. Garfield's Spider-Man has to swing for his life as Electro shoots electricity at him, with the film's score elevating the tension. Gwen Stacy's arrival and her coming up with a plan alongside Spider-Man to defeat Electro perfectly ends the fight.
7 Black Adam’s Brawl With The Justice Society Is Filled With Superhero Powers
Black Adam (DCEU, 2022)
Before the movie was released, Dwayne Johnson repeatedly talked about how the hierarchy of power in the DCEU was about to change. However, Black Adam was released to a middling reception, and The Rock's franchise did not continue in James Gunn's DC Universe.
Despite its issues, which mostly stemmed from a bad villain and a story with few thrills,Black Adam had great fight scenes. Johnson has always chosen projects where his action experience can be put to good use. Black Adam did that in spades, with the powerful character being a frightening force in the film.
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Black Adam
- Release Date
- October 21, 2022
- Runtime
- 125 Minutes
- Director
- Jaume Collet-Serra
- Writers
- Bill Parker, C.C. Beck, Jerry Siegel, Jack Kirby, Joe Shuster, Rory Haines, Sohrab Noshirvani, Adam Sztykiel
- Franchise(s)
- DC Universe
Cast
Black Adam / Teth Adam
Aldis HodgeHawkman / Carter Hall
Black Adam is a feature film centered around the DC Comics antihero Black Adam, portrayed by Dwayne Johnson. The story follows the titular character as he emerges in the modern world, freed after millennia of imprisonment, to deliver his own form of justice.
The best fight scene in the DCEU movie saw Black Adam take on the Justice Society of America. As the movie focused on a villain, it was interesting to see him take on heroes. The sequence put Black Adam's might against heroes who used magic, could fly, cast cyclones, and could grow exponentially in size.
6 Spider-Man 3’s Final Battle Makes Up For A Disappointing Film In Emotional Fashion
Spider-Man 3 (Spider-Man Franchise, 2007)
Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy helped usher in the modern era of superhero movies. That said, Spider-Man 3 is easily the worst entry in the franchise. Raimi did not want to use Venom, and the character's forced inclusion by the studio led to a disjointed mess.
Sam Raimi explained to Uproxx why he did not want to use Venom in Spider-Man 3, saying, "I didn’t recognize enough humanity within that character to be able to identify with him properly."
Spider-Man 3 is remembered more for the "Bully Maguire" memes than anything else. However, despite the movie's clear flaws, there were some redeeming qualities. The final battle of the movie saw Spider-Man and Harry Osborn team up against Sandman and Venom. Things then got emotional.
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Spider-Man 3
- Release Date
- May 3, 2007
- Runtime
- 139 minutes
- Director
- Sam Raimi
- Writers
- Sam Raimi, Alvin Sargent, Ivan Raimi
- Producers
- Avi Arad, Grant Curtis, Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr., Kevin Feige, Laura Ziskin
Cast
Spider-Man / Peter Parker
Kirsten DunstMary Jane Watson
Spider-Man 3 is the third entry in Sam Raimi's trilogy, where Tobey Maguire reprises his role as Peter Parker. Released in 2007, the film sees Spider-Man confronting new adversaries, including Sandman and Venom, while grappling with personal challenges involving an alien symbiote and complex relationships.
The whole sequence is pure Spider-Man. New York citizens watch as Spider-Man gets brutally beaten down before the hero and Harry turn the tide around. Sandman is defeated by water and recognizes his mistakes, Venom is taken down by sonic vibrations, and Harry is killed as Peter and Mary Jane reunite in a poignant ending.
5 Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice’s Superman & Batman Fight Is As Epic As It Can Get
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (DCEU, 2016)
As often happens to be the case with Zack Snyder, the theatrical cut of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was not received well. The DCEU film marked the first time Batman and Superman interacted in live-action. Instead of being exciting, the bleak affair was mostly dull and emotionless.
Snyder's full creative vision for the film is detailed in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice's Ultimate Edition. It is a much better film overall due to added scenes that make the characters' motivations more clear. Still, there were some cool moments in the theatrical version of the DCEU's most divisive movie.
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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
- Release Date
- March 25, 2016
- Runtime
- 152 minutes
- Director
- Zack Synder
- Writers
- Chris Terrio, David S. Goyer
- Producers
- Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder
Cast
Bruce Wayne / Batman
Clark Kent / Superman
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice features the iconic clash between Gotham's Dark Knight, played by Ben Affleck, and Metropolis's Man of Steel, portrayed by Henry Cavill. As these two heroes confront each other, a looming threat endangers humanity, setting the stage for larger challenges ahead in the DC Extended Universe.
Without a doubt, the movie's best moment is Batman and Superman's fight sequence. Ben Affleck's veteran Batman saved Gotham City for decades. All that experience was shown when he used advanced armor and kryptonite to defeat Henry Cavill's Superman. Batman almost kills Superman, making for an incredibly tense and action-packed sequence.
4 Dark Phoenix’s Train Sequence Showed How Powerful Magneto Is
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Fox's X-Men Franchise, 2019)
Fox's X-Men franchise was, unfortunately, pretty hit-or-miss. Some of the X-Men movies rank among the best live-action Marvel character adaptations. However, others easily make up the bottom of the list. Sadly, the final movie in Fox's main X-Men franchise was one of its worst.
Dark Phoenix had many issues. However, its train fight scene was full of thrills. Prefaced by a fight between Michael Fassbender's Magneto and the X-Men, the characters team up to take on Vuk's forces. The sequence then serves as a showcase of how powerful many X-Men members are when let loose.
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X-Men: Dark Phoenix
- Release Date
- June 5, 2019
- Runtime
- 114 minutes
- Director
- Simon Kinberg
- Writers
- Simon Kinberg
- Producers
- Hutch Parker, Josh McLaglen, Lauren Shuler Donner
Cast
James McAvoyCharles Xavier / Professor X
Sophie TurnerJean Grey / Dark Phoenix
The team faces internal and external challenges in X-Men: Dark Phoenix, as Jean Grey transforms after absorbing a cosmic force during a space rescue mission. This newfound power tests her stability, prompting the X-Men to confront both Jean's volatile state and alien forces seeking to exploit her abilities.
Fassbender's Magneto was consistently the best part of the younger X-Men franchise. Dark Phoenix's train sequence once again showed that as Magneto impaled, crushed, and did more awful things to those in his path. The X-Men villain was ruthless, shining amid exciting superhero action.
3 Wonder Woman 1984’s Cheetah Fight Showcases Diana Prince’s Endurance
Wonder Woman 1984 (DCEU, 2020)
Gal Gadot's first Wonder Woman movie was iconic. Sadly, Wonder Woman 1984 was a major letdown, not managing to live up to the original. Not only was Wonder Woman 1984a box office bomb and panned by critics, but it led to the end of the franchise.
Gadot will be replaced as Wonder Woman in James Gunn's DCU. There were some controversial choices in the DCEU's second Wonder Woman film, and Gadot's acting was not at its best. However, when it comes to fight scenes, Wonder Woman 1984 was consistently a good time.
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Wonder Woman 1984
- Release Date
- December 25, 2020
- Runtime
- 151 minutes
- Director
- Patty Jenkins
- Writers
- Patty Jenkins, Geoff Johns, Dave Callaham
- Producers
- Charles Roven, Stephen Jones, Zack Synder, Deborah Snyder, Gal Gadot
Cast
Diana Prince
Steve Trevor
Wonder Woman 1984, set during the Cold War, follows Diana Prince as she faces a formidable opponent. When a heist exposes a perilous ancient artifact, Wonder Woman is drawn into a global conflict that endangers her extraordinary abilities and challenges her resolve to save the world.
Among all the Wonder Woman action scenes in the film, the final time she fights Cheetah takes the top spot. It features Wonder Woman's iconic gold armor from the comics, adding some flair to the occasion. Shining aspects of the film were how vicious Cheetah was and the showcase of Wonder Woman's resourcefulness and endurance.
2 Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer’s Doctor Doom Final Fight Had Johnny Storm Unite The Team’s Powers
Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer (Fantastic Four Franchise, 2007)
There has yet to be a truly great Fantastic Four movie. After a long time away from home, Marvel's First Family is having a huge 2024 and 2025. Last year, Chris Evans returned as a Johnny Storm variant and stole the scene in Deadpool & Wolverine. This year sees the MCU's first Fantastic Four movie.
When it comes to the team's live-action history, director Tim Story's Fantastic Four movies were a mixed bag. After a decent start to the franchise, the second film crashed and burned. While it is mostly remembered by "Cloud Galactus,"Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer did have a gripping battle.
Evans' Human Torch was the best part of the 2007 movie. Johnny was able to take the powers from the other Fantastic Four members. This allowed him to beat Doctor Doom, who had Silver Surfer's flying board, in a fight full of exciting twists.
1 Superman III’s Evil Superman Took On Clark Kent In A Brawl
Superman III (Superman Franchise, 1983)
Christopher Reeve still stands to this day as the golden standard for Superman actors. However, of his four movies as the Man of Steel, the latter half was not as good as the first two. Superman III at least had a few salvageable elements.
Due to exposure to synthetic kryptonite, Superman's good and evil sides were split into two characters who fought.
Reeve showed the full scope of his acting skills in a creative sequence. The actor played two different versions of the DC icon, as Reeve gave life to Evil Superman and Clark Kent. Due to exposure to synthetic kryptonite, Superman's good and evil sides were split into two characters who fought.
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Superman III
- Release Date
- June 17, 1983
- Runtime
- 125 minutes
- Director
- Richard Lester
- Writers
- David Newman
- Producers
- Ilya Salkind
Cast
Christopher ReeveClark Kent / Superman- Richard PryorAugust 'Gus' Gorman
Superman III features Christopher Reeve reprising his role as the iconic superhero. In this third installment, Superman faces challenges from a wealthy executive and a genius programmer tasked with developing synthetic kryptonite, leading to unforeseen complications. Alongside these struggles, he reconnects with a past love and combats a formidable supercomputer.
While superhero action is present, it is not the best aspect of the scene. The true fun is seeing how Reeve perfectly makes both characters two separate entities through his mannerisms. Clark Kent is heroic in the face of an unhinged Superman, which is true to the character and ends the list of great fight scenes in bad Marvel and DC movies.
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